We all know the workplace is changing — at Mindjet, we spend a lot of time talking about it, what it means to our business, and how it informs our products and services. It’s not surprising, then, that the future of work is a major topic here on Conspire.

Work today is more dispersed. The one hour commute is going the way of the Woolly Mammoth as more workers look for telecommuting options. Paradoxically, we are more tethered and untethered than ever before. What once was a WORD-via-PC office has become an Evernote-on-iPad world where you work whenever and from wherever you choose. Your office travels well, often tucked in the palm of your hand. Your iPhone = your clutch office.

Well, maybe not so clutch.

Because in many ways the future of work (the adaptive organization that can keep pace and capitalize on these changes) hasn’t materialized. To get there, Altimeter analyst Chris Silva suggests that we look at the whole enchilada — “the systems, policies, people and tools.” And he’s doing just that in his latest research, The Connected Workforce: Powering The Mobile, Collaborative Professional. The report looks to lay out what a successful mobile, collaborative, and truly connected workforce looks like. It also explores the changes that are taking place as companies embrace a new set of technologies that aim to make us all more collaborative.

Prior to his findings, I sat down with him for a series of 1 on 1’s where he served up the basics behind our changing workplace, took a shot at what his research might unveil and then provided some topspin on what’s required so that everyone can benefit from all this — call it match point. Sports analogies aside, my proposition going in was that effective collaboration isn’t as easy as throwing on a technological switch. Silva tends to agree.

In this first video, Chris explores fundamental drivers of a connected workplace and outlines what steps might lie ahead.

Next up, we explore the connected workplace vs. the collaborative workplace, and whether or not it’s all just semantics.

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What is Mindjet?

Mindjet is the developer of MindManager, the industry-leading software that helps business professionals achieve more by efficiently organizing and clearly communicating complex ideas and information. With over 4,500 corporate customers and 2.5 million paid users, including 83% of the Fortune 100, MindManager mind mapping and information visualization software enables brainstorming and creative problem solving, and improved communication.